Belapur Ki Dayan ~ Episodes 1-5 Review

Rest in Peace – a commonplace phrase used when one hears of someone’s death. But what of those whose time on this earth is cruelly cut short? Those who are wrongfully murdered? Can their souls really ever rest in peace? And that too when those connected to their murders are walking around scot-free?

Written by Enam Hasan, directed by Saife Hasan and produced by Momina Duraid, HUM TV’s new project Belapur Ki Dayan offers a much needed respite from the routine pyar shadi aur phir barbadi type stories.

The serial kicks off with Aziz sahab regainingpossession of his ancestral home, a fact which seems to make only him happy. His wife, Raeesa, and grown children, Rameez and his wife Aliya and college-going daughter Tasha, are wary about making the move but Aziz sahab remains unmoved. Hence the family relocates to Karamat House, a huge property with trees that seem to attract the noisiest birds in town.

Almost immediately there is a sense that things are off-kilter somewhere somehow. A sound here a creak there, it’s all a little too spooky for the family members’ particularly the women’s comfort but live here they must. So they dismiss the disquieting thoughts and move on. But all too soon it becomes evident that it’s not just imaginations working overtime. Things do start happening. An unexplained fire, a reflection of a woman not there, children hearing voices, a picture that refuses to hang straight… it’s not quite that easy to shrug off things now.

As the story continues to unfold new characters and tracks are being introduced, adding in more complexity to the narrative giving it more depth and the shading existing characters in interesting shades of grey. Aziz sahab, for instance, is now shaping up to be a lot more complicated than he had appeared to be at first glance.

It is is now clear that Aziz is the bridge between the past and the present of Karamat House; it is he who holds the key which unlocks the mysteries of the past and provides answers in the present. Who and why is the elderly man following him around? What is Aziz’s connection to the elderly ghost who watches over, almost protecting, his family? How is he related to the youger ghost? Why is she so angry with him and so bent on hurting his family?

That a story can reel in viewers, leaving them with so many questions and having them eagerly looking forward to answers says a lot for the tight writing and the narrative skills of the director. Enam Hasan and Saife Hasan are both on the same page here and it shows. The writing is enhanced by way in which the story translates on to the screen, and the sound, lighting and camerawork by DOP Azhar Ali adds that much more life to this story. The editing is on-point for most part, although at times some scenes do seem like they are being stretched to fill time.

Among the actors, the seniors are such a brilliant lot. Shakeel, Irfan Khoosat, Sajida Syed, Rashid Farooqi are fabulous. Among the younger lot, Sarah Khan has come such a long way since her début with Saife Hasan in Bari Apa. It is good to Osama Tahir in a very different role than his outing in Dar Si Jati Hai Sila. I am looking forward to seeing Amar Khan’s character arc in the forthcoming episodes, she has me intrigued. Rayyan is good as Aliya. It is a pleasure to see Nazar Ul Hasan doing more on TV and I hope he has more to do here.

All in all, despite the fact that I am not a fan of this trifecta of horror, thriller, and ghost stories I had a great time with these first five episodes. Now if only the producers and channel owners would keep this one short and sweet! If you haven’t yet checked this one out I would recommend you give this Dayan a shot. Makes a fun change from the same old.

And speaking of the same old, I would typically end my review here, but I must take a minute and give the team a pat on the back for the fact that for once we actually see a married woman with children studying for a private degree. The fact that she is being supported by her entire family in this attempt is such a huge deal in terms of our portrayal of women on TV. It may be that nobody noticed it, but I for one am so so glad to see such role models being quietly slipped into the narrative – every teeny tiny step counts.

Along similar lines, it is heartening to see the positive relationships in Aziz sahab’s family. Raeesa and her daughter-in-law Aliya have a healthy relationship. Aliya and Tasha have no bhabhi-nand issues, there are no phupho issues either and the two grown siblings – Tasha and Rameez – too share a warm bond. Also, the fact that this family actually talks and discusses issues with each other is such a positive thing. That Aziz doesn’t heed anybody’s advice is a whole other story, but it’s so good to see a positive portrayal of families for a change.

So yeah, I enjoyed these first five episodes and am hoping that this Dayan stays the course. What about you all? Looking forward to hearing from you all!

I’m loving this drama so much! It gives me the same feeling I get when watching American horror movies/tv shows
There is so much professionalism in the way this drama has been put together and there’s still so much we have yet to learn
I also hope this doesn’t get dragged out and love the way they have portrayed this family 😊

randomthoughtsbyhaya: Hi there! Lovely to hear from you 🙂
So, as a rule I avoid these scary dramas but a couple days ago I asked readers on fb and insta for suggestions and this one was a universal fave so I checked it out despite my trepidation and have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. I was scared but more than that intrigued so kept on watching … and here we are – very nicely done by the team!

Haina! Lets do some bajama’at dua ke it ends at around a respectable 15-18 ep mark.

Hi SZ, its good to see your review. I was not very keen from the trailers by after hearing good reviews from friends I am following it. It’s actually good. you are so right about the family structure and their relationship. It’s lovely to see there are no sazishain among family members. I am looking forward to read more reviews and discussions on belapur ki day an.

Hello hello Maria! Me too.. am not a fan of the genre so wasn’t persuaded by the promos but then sab ki farmaish pe check kiya tau was pleasantly surprised. And yes, it is a refreshing change on all counts. Lets hope it doesnt turn out to be yet another case of a HUM drama flattering to deceive.

I hope to review this, just not weekly. I enjoyed the binge watch so will try to do 3-4 eps together so that we have things to talk about. With so many dramas these days, I think it makes sense to have reviews of eps in batches …

Waisey a note to all: Im always open to suggestions and different ideas on how to maximize coverage of dramas so please feel free to get in touch via a comment her or through the contact form or via email desirantsnraves@gmail.com …. warna tau its too much for one person to cover every drama on a weekly basis.

I’m still a scaredy cat. Even a well executed drama and praise from DRNR wouldn’t get me to see it. 😁
But I love and encourage the fact that the family dynamics you mentioned are being shown here. Yes, there is a lot of drama and despair in real life but in terms of entertainment, why does it have to be the centre point of all stories every time?
There are a lot of positive stories out there too that needs to be highlighted too.

Haha! I hear you behen .. I am a fellow scaredy cat so had to watch in the day time (see the things I do for my readers #thapkitoself 😉 ) but actually if you think abt it the story’s not that scary its the presentation that scares you and that part is handled well .. so try it.. its refreshing because its not a run of the mill drama..

I’ve been hearing praise for this drama but still am on the fence for checking it out as I’m not a fan of horror. I like how HUM TV is experimenting with new stories though! Hopefully it wont be dragged

Speaking of dragged I recently watched Shayyad and that was a drama that was not dragged at all. Have you seen it? It was a really good watch. Beautiful aesthetics, background music, acting and story line. It was only 21 episodes which was a relief cuz who makes dramas that short anymore! The story never felt dragged and moved at a good pace throughout. If you’re looking for a good watch, I’d highly recommend it.